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Blue Apron could deliver an IPO in 2017, but should it?

Meal kit makers Blue Apron may be preparing to file for a 2017 IPO, according to Reuters. The report says that the food startup has hired bankers from Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Citigroup to this end.

The whole thing has stirred up quite the conversation over here at TechCrunch, and we’ve been arguing amongst ourselves about the likelihood that the Blue Apron IPO happens soon, or at all. For what it’s worth, we have sources saying there is no IPO effort under way for Blue Apron yet, and Reuters’ source may have had his or her own agenda.

There are three obvious possibilities here:

  • Blue Apron is actually exploring the idea of an IPO. It’s in the early stages, but the company is exploring it nonetheless.
  • Blue Apron and/or its bankers are floating the rumor of an IPO to attract potential acquirers.
  • Blue Apron neither has imminent IPO plans, nor is it interested in an acquisition.

Any of the above would make for a fairly standard business tactic and story. But here’s the thing: Blue Apron is at the point where it could just sit tight.

This post originally appeared on TechCrunch. To read it in its entirety, click here.